Hall of Fame Profile: Rob Johnson
10/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | MTF
Oct. 27, 2003
Rob Johnson has made his mark on Central Michigan, both the university and the geographical region.
He excelled as a student-athlete at Central Michigan University in track and field in the late 1960s, but did some of his best work as a high school coach at nearby Clare for 34 years.
And for his outstanding efforts between the lines and on the sidelines Johnson will be inducted into CMU's Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, October 31. The ceremony will take place at the Comfort Inn and inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the CMU vs. EMU football game on Nov. 1. Tickets for the induction banquet cost $25 and may be purchased at the ticket office at Rose Arena.
Also being inducted are Beth (Bull) Spencer (softball), Dean Kreiner (baseball), Charles Markey (football), Jeff Mills (wrestling), and Steve Papes (baseball).
"With his combination of athletic feats and coaching ability, I have never seen anyone that qualifies more for the Hall of Fame," said his former coach and lifetime friend Don Sazima. "I can't think of any of my athletes, and I've had many inducted, that are more deserving of this honor than he is."
As a thrower on the track and field team, Johnson was a little undersized. But, that didn't stop him from earning All-America honors in 1969 and leading the Chippewas to the 1969 IIAC championship.
"He never had great height," said Sazima. "But, he made up for it with flawless form.
"Rob was an outstanding student of shot putting, everything that we said to him he absorbed. He had a great attitude and you could tell, early on, that he was going to be successful in whatever he did."
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Johnson was national high school "Coach of the Year" at nearby Clare High School in 2002.  |
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He was the three-time "Coach of the Year" in the state of Michigan. His teams were 277-32-1 in dual meets and won a state title in 2000.
"Rob took all of his fine traits from being an athlete and transferred it to high school coaching," said Sazima.
Johnson is recently retired from coaching and currently resides in Clare.